Climate Change and Energy

In a September 2009 speech, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called climate change “the preeminent geopolitical and economic issue of the 21st century.” Among governments and societies, awareness of the issue, agreement around the need to address it, and controversy over how to do so have all increased in recent years.

Meridian Institute is experienced in the climate change arena; we have been convening collaborative dialogues and conferences on the topic for well over a decade. Our projects have covered multiple aspects of climate change, including US energy policy, US and other national climate policy, international climate change agreements and policy, clean technology innovation, the effects of climate change on agriculture and of agriculture on climate change, and measures for reducing emissions from deforestation, forest degradation, and other biological land uses.

Meridian’s climate- and energy-related projects have helped parties across the political spectrum and around the globe to establish communication, exchange ideas, and forge action-based alliances. Our efforts have spurred effective interchange among scientists, policy makers, industry leaders, environmental advocates, academics, ethical and spiritual leaders, and others. Many of Meridian’s projects have resulted in unlikely allies; for example, we worked with several Fortune 500 corporations and leading environmental groups to create the US Climate Action Partnership.

As society continues to grapple with issues related to the changing global climate—including its impacts on natural and human systems and the need to shift reliance away from fossil-fuel-based energy—Meridian will be there to help diverse parties forge consensus-based solutions.